Man dies after winning roach-eating contest

[kenny]

I am not making this up. (I wish I was.)

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/09/us/florida-roach-eating-death/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

 

[minousbijoux]

I can't imagine eating one cockroach. Tragic it happened, but I wouldn't be surprised if I keeled over too if had to eat bugs. In my case, it would be from a heart attack due to the gross factor...

 

[isaku5]

I am not making this up. (I wish I was.)

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/09/us/florida-roach-eating-death/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

There's a stupid idea and then there's a really stupid idea.

 

[Circe]

...

...

... dude.

I can honestly say there is not a single thing in the world I would do that for. The Tiffany Diamond is on the other end of that contest? The Dresden Green? PASS.

And for an $850 python ... man. I don't know what disturbs me more, the idea of doing it at all, or the idea of doing it for something so paltry.

Oh, wait, yeah I do. It's the "dead" part.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Saw this today. The whole story makes me gag. Since so many others ate all of this crap too I'm guessing that he died from something else. I cannot in my wildest dreams imagine doing that for any item - let alone a damn snake! Not only does it make me gag but it somehow makes me angry too that someone could be that stupid. I'm sorry he passed for all the right reasons but for this one too. . if that hadn't happened, we might have never been subjected to reading this sordid story!

 

[Enerchi]

What a sad thing to happen. What a stupid contest to participate in! For a snake??? really??? I'm with Circe, there's nothing I'd eat a cockroach or worms for, unless it was to save the lives of my children or husband. Insane. What a stupid tragic death.

 

[iLander]

My politically incorrect responses are (in random order):

Apparently natural selection really does work.

I think this is the person we have all those damn warnings on the plastic bags for.

Thankfully, people like this are a self-limiting problem.

This guy is a sure-fire winner for the Darwin awards.

Then my twisted wonderings; do you think he took the legs off the roaches first, or did they kind of scrape down his throat? Wouldn't they get caught in his teeth? Wouldn't you hate to be the coroner that had to cut that guy open?

I vary, just all by myself.

 

[Haven]

I think it's a sad tragedy.

 

[baby nurse]

Just. Revolting.

 

[Gypsy]

Darwin award winner? With all his fellow contestants as runner's up.

ETA:
iLander... politically correct or not-- I TOTALLY shared your brainspace on this one. I was reading your post (after I posted my own above) and just nodding.

 

[aljdewey]

Yanno, that Chuck Darwin was *really* a super-bright guy, wasn't he?

Thousands of years later, his observations have lost *none* of their relevance.

 

[minousbijoux]

I vary, just all by myself.

...and this is why we love you

ETA: but not cockroaches

 

[Haven]

Weird double-post. Sorry.

 

[Haven]

I think people who use their cell phones while driving are just as strong candidates for Darwin awards as this guy. Hands-free or not. The difference is that this guy's stupidity is so outside the norm that it seems easier to point and laugh.

 

[HollyS]

My politically incorrect responses are (in random order):

Apparently natural selection really does work.

I think this is the person we have all those damn warnings on the plastic bags for.

Thankfully, people like this are a self-limiting problem.

This guy is a sure-fire winner for the Darwin awards.

Then my twisted wonderings; do you think he took the legs off the roaches first, or did they kind of scrape down his throat? Wouldn't they get caught in his teeth? Wouldn't you hate to be the coroner that had to cut that guy open?

I vary, just all by myself.

THIS.

This post made me hoot with laughter, and I darn near tinkled my pants.

 

[Dee*Jay]

My politically incorrect responses are (in random order):

Apparently natural selection really does work.

I think this is the person we have all those damn warnings on the plastic bags for.

Thankfully, people like this are a self-limiting problem.

This guy is a sure-fire winner for the Darwin awards.

Then my twisted wonderings; do you think he took the legs off the roaches first, or did they kind of scrape down his throat? Wouldn't they get caught in his teeth? Wouldn't you hate to be the coroner that had to cut that guy open?

I vary, just all by myself.

HA!!!!!

We all need to have this made into t-shirts for the next PS GTG!

P.S. - I refuse to the read the story. I have a very vivid imagination and it's almost bedtime...

 

[Circe]

I think people who use their cell phones while driving are just as strong candidates for Darwin awards as this guy. Hands-free or not. The difference is that this guy's stupidity is so outside the norm that it seems easier to point and laugh.

People using their cell phones while they text are actually probably better candidates for the Darwin, since that's a behavior we know has a high chance of resulting in badness, whereas the whole eating-chitinous-insects thing is ... well, kind of its own punishment: I don't think anybody engaging in this behavior thought it would result in worse than EVERYBODY IN THE WHOLE WORLD REFUSING TO KISS THEM EVER. A death is indeed a tragedy.

That said, thank you, iLander, for the image of the coroner who is going to be trying to figure this one out. I am torn between "yikes" and "yuck."

 

[iLander]

I vary, just all by myself.

...and this is why we love you

ETA: but not cockroaches

Awwww, hugs!

ETA Hugs for you, not the cockroaches!

 

[iLander]

Yanno, that Chuck Darwin was *really* a super-bright guy, wasn't he?

Thousands of years later, his observations have lost *none* of their relevance.

Actually, I was referring specifically to the actual Darwin Awards, as noted in Wikepedia: The Darwin Awards are a tongue-in-cheek honor, originating in Usenet newsgroup discussions circa 1985. They recognize individuals who have contributed to human evolution by self-selecting themselves out of the gene pool via death or sterilization due to their own (unnecessarily foolish) actions. The project became more formalized with the creation of a website in 1993, and followed up by a series of books starting in 2000, authored by Wendy Northcutt. The criterion for the awards states, "In the spirit of Charles Darwin, the Darwin Awards commemorate individuals who protect our gene pool by making the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives. Darwin Award winners eliminate themselves in an extraordinarily idiotic manner, thereby improving our species' chances of long-term survival."

Every year, the presenters of the award manage to come out with a new list, because apparently there is no shortage of recipients.

 

[iLander]

That said, thank you, iLander, for the image of the coroner who is going to be trying to figure this one out. I am torn between "yikes" and "yuck."

Hey, I gave you fair warning, I said "twisted wonderings", so you knew nothing good could come after that . . .

 

[yssie]

My politically incorrect responses are (in random order):

Apparently natural selection really does work.

I think this is the person we have all those damn warnings on the plastic bags for.

Thankfully, people like this are a self-limiting problem.

This guy is a sure-fire winner for the Darwin awards.

Then my twisted wonderings; do you think he took the legs off the roaches first, or did they kind of scrape down his throat? Wouldn't they get caught in his teeth? Wouldn't you hate to be the coroner that had to cut that guy open?

I vary, just all by myself.

::snort::
Yeah, um. That. Every last bit of it.
Hugs, iLander

 

[aljdewey]

Yanno, that Chuck Darwin was *really* a super-bright guy, wasn't he?

Thousands of years later, his observations have lost *none* of their relevance.

Actually, I was referring specifically to the actual Darwin Awards, as noted in Wikepedia: The Darwin Awards are a tongue-in-cheek honor, originating in Usenet newsgroup discussions circa 1985. They recognize individuals who have contributed to human evolution by self-selecting themselves out of the gene pool via death or sterilization due to their own (unnecessarily foolish) actions. The project became more formalized with the creation of a website in 1993, and followed up by a series of books starting in 2000, authored by Wendy Northcutt. The criterion for the awards states, "In the spirit of Charles Darwin, the Darwin Awards commemorate individuals who protect our gene pool by making the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives. Darwin Award winners eliminate themselves in an extraordinarily idiotic manner, thereby improving our species' chances of long-term survival."

Every year, the presenters of the award manage to come out with a new list, because apparently there is no shortage of recipients.

I do know what the Darwin Awards are, but my comment wasn't in response to yours.

It was specifically intended to reference Darwinism, not the parody awards that followed.

 

[House Cat]

I think it's a sad tragedy.

Ditto.

 

[partgypsy]

remember, we are not supposed to talk about religon in this section...

 

[partgypsy]

It sounds like speculations were either a) death by aspiration (he was vomiting), or b) allergic reaction (some people are allergice to roaches). I myself would have died/heart attack from the gross out factor.

These kind of stories always remind me of people fighting for xboxes as Xmas, or for me, the state fair. A few years they used to have an annual contest in the fair where a bunch of people would be stuck in a car, and who ever was the last remaining in the car would win it. Not only are you stuck day and night with strangers who basically are your enemies, the things people would do to force other people out win the car (passing gas was the least of it), always made me ask, "why? why?" and make me feel disgusted I was part of the same species. The car was on display at the state fair, so you got to stare and heckle them during the contest.

 

[aljdewey]

remember, we are not supposed to talk about religon in this section...

Huh? who's talking about religion? What did I miss?

It is quite amusing, though, to note the irony in your admonishing others about religion in one breath and then talking about xmas in the next.

 

[kenny]

I think some people consider the science of evolution, aka Darwinism, as little more than a competing religious perspective.

 

[aljdewey]

I think some people perceive the science of evolution, Darwinism, as little more than a competing religious perspective.

Some people think the sky is purple, too - doesn't make them right, and doesn't make it so.

It's about science. It's about the instinct of a species to preserve itself by selecting the best specimens from the species. It had no religious origins or intents. The fact that some people cannot separate it from religion doesn't make it a "religious" discussion.

 

[kenny]

I think some people perceive the science of evolution, Darwinism, as little more than a competing religious perspective.

Some people think the sky is purple, too - doesn't make them right, and doesn't make it so.

It's about science. It's about the instinct of a species to preserve itself by selecting the best specimens from the species. It had no religious origins or intents. The fact that some people cannot separate it from religion doesn't make it a "religious" discussion.

I'm with you.
Science is science and religion is religion.
I do not get them confused.

I didn't say I thought of Darwinism, or science, to be on par with, or an actual, religion.
I only guessed that the reference to Darwin prompted the no-religion comment; it was the only thing brought up in this thread that I know some people have labeled a religion in order to get creationism added to curriculum of science classes.

I could be mistaken.
Only part gypsy knows what she was referring to when she made that comment.

 

[Laila619]

Indeed he was stupid, but I'm not gonna laugh at someone dying. It's sad.